142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

305593
Entry Level Baccalaureate Nursing Students as Health Coaches

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014

Kim Decker, PhD, RN, CNS , School of Nursing, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Desiree Hensel, PhD, RN, PCNS-BC, CNE , School of Nursing, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Background: Nursing has traditionally focused on providing client education as the primary way to improve health, but unhealthy choices remain a primary source of morbidity and mortality. There is a growing interest in using client initiated visions and plans to behavior change, known as health coaching, but little is known about the effectiveness of student nurses in the role of coach. The purpose of this pilot project was to integrate health coaching into a new population-based clinical course for beginning baccalaureate nursing students at a large Midwestern University and evaluate the outcomes.  

Method: This project used an exploratory case study design. After initial training on health coaching, the faculty provided 60 entry-level students a lecture on the basics of health and wellness, stages of change, and health coaching. The students were given guidelines to follow when working with a willing participant of their choice over a six-week period. Sessions were summarized on coaching notes and reflections were shared during weekly discussions. Data from the coaching notes, discussion sessions, course evaluations, and faculty feedback were triangulated to gain a holistic understanding of the project.

Results: Data revealed themes of acting as an educator, enabler, or judge with few students acting as coach.  As a whole students, had unrealistic expectations for behavior change in the provided time frame. Barriers included preparedness both from faculty and students.

Conclusions: While this project showed promise, future revisions should include giving the students clearer guidance selecting a participant, adjusting the time frame, and providing specific feedback.

Learning Areas:

Communication and informatics
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education
Public health or related nursing
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Identify traditional health education teaching strategies Identify health coaching strategies List ways to improve the health coaching methodology

Keyword(s): Health Promotion and Education, Evidence-Based Practice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal or co-principal of multiple research studies focusing on best evidenced-based practice in nursing education. I was the principal faculty of the entry level baccalaureate nursing didactic and clinical course that introduced health coaching into our curriculum. I participated in training on health coaching. I have been teaching community health nursing clinical for the past 9 years. I am completing my doctoral program in human development/education psychology this summer.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.